Vice president Biden arrives in Baghdad

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: U.S.Vice President Joe Biden arrived today on an official visit before the U.S.forces withdrawal at the end of this year. U.S.President Barack Obama announced on 12 October last that the U.S.forces will withdraw from Iraq by the end of 2011, according to the security agreement signed between the two sides. The security agreement between Baghdad and Washington, signed in November 2008, stipulated that the U.S.forces should withdraw by the end of this year. U.S.combat forces began withdrawing from Iraqi cities and town in June 2009, according to the agreement. Vice-President Biden visited Iraq on 13 January last, where he met with Premier Nouri al-Maliki, President Jalal Talabani and Kurdish Region President Masoud Barzani, where bilateral relations were discussed as well as joint interests. Political sources said that the visit is to expedite the distribution of vacant security posts, so that the security situation will not further deteriorate. RM (TS)/SR 192